


Arranged Marriage

by justbygrace



Series: As It Should Be [19]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-09
Updated: 2015-02-09
Packaged: 2018-03-11 06:00:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3316814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justbygrace/pseuds/justbygrace





	Arranged Marriage

Rose was of the opinion that she would rather marry anyone in the entire world other than Prince John. Literally, anyone. But she had no choice and neither did he, because long before either of them was born it was decreed that Gallifrey and Powell would unite in marriage as a sign of good faith between the two countries, and no one cared what their children thought. Rose hadn't actually met John, but she had heard tales of him - about his snooty ways, his fondness for fashion, his far-fetched ideas - and she could clearly picture him in her mind. In fact, she was fond of scrawling caricatures of the Prince with coal against the privy wall when she was particularly angry.

It was bad enough that no one consulted her (or him, but she didn't care one whit about him) about their feelings towards one another - or thought to introduce them, come to that - but she was in love with someone else and absolutely no one cared about that. He was a minstrel who traveled the land with no thought to borders or royalty, and his tales were of far-off places designed to curl the toes and warm the blood. Besides that he was poor and perfect, his smile bringing an answering one to her lips and his lilting voice soothing her when she railed against the unfairness that was her life.

As the day of her impending marriage grew closer, Rose's frustration grew. She complained in vain to her parents: her father tuned her out, her mother patted her cheek and reminded her of her own arranged marriage, and even her minstrel let her down, and though his caresses were fond and his kisses sweeter than ever, he offered no plan of escape and refused to assist her in any of the daring plans she suggested. On their last day together - tomorrow would begin the preparations for the trip to Gallifrey and her new life - he held her close, his lips pressed to her brow, resisting her whispered pleas to just run off and promising he would see her again. 

Gallifrey was both better and worse than she expected, and Rose rued the day her father signed the marriage treaty. At last it was time for her to walk down the aisle, her feet as heavy as her heart, and stand before her betrothed. She hardly heard the words, until the Prince's hands lifted her veil and she raised her eyes only to meet familiar brown ones that twinkled with love and mirth, his lips reminding her that he always kept his promises.


End file.
